|
Description:
The marine wilderness of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve provides opportunities for adventure, a living laboratory for observing the ebb and flow of glaciers, and a chance to study life as it returns in the wake of retreating ice. Amidst majestic scenery, Glacier Bay offers us now, and for all time, a connection to a powerful and wild landscape. The park has snow-capped mountain ranges rising to over 15,000 feet, coastal beaches with protected coves, deep fjords, tidewater glaciers, coastal and estuarine waters, and freshwater lakes. These diverse land and seascapes host a mosaic of plant communities ranging from pioneer species in areas recently exposed by receding glaciers, to climax communities in older coastal and alpine ecosystems. Diverse habitats support a variety of marine and terrestrial wildlife, with opportunities for viewing and research that allow us to learn more about the natural world. Directions:
Plane - Year-around air service is available to Gustavus from Juneau and neighboring communities via small planes. These air-taxi companies are common in Alaska. Alaska Airlines provides daily jet service between Juneau and Gustavus during the summer.
Car - There are no roads to Glacier Bay and no Alaska Marine Highway service. The only road in the park runs 10 miles between Bartlett Cove and the neighboring community of Gustavus.
Public Transportation - A passenger ferry operates between Juneau and Gustavus/Bartlett Cove on a limited schedule (2002 schedule: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday & Friday trips). Tour boat, cruise ship and charter boat services are available. Pleasure boats are welcome (a free permit is required). Taxi or bus service is available between Gustavus and Bartlett Cove.
|
